Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

Germany is the winner of Brazil’s World Cup 2014. They did it in extra time (like many games in this World Cup) thanks to a goal scored by Mario Göetze in the 113rd minute. The German side broke the norm and for the first time in football history a European national team wins a World Cup organised in South America. In a highly demanding game Argentina saw their hopes vanishing when the match got closer to a penalty shoot out. In the end Germany gets their ‘fourth star’ after winning this 2014 World Cup...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

Argentina will play another World Cup Final after a long time. They needed to get to extra time and then to the penalty shoot out to eventually beat the Dutch national team. From Tuesday Germany were awaiting them after thrashing Brazil in a game that won’t be forgotten...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

Despite the equality of the tournament, the successive extensions, penalty shootout’s, the teams disclosure and feelings of the championship at the end are four of the most popular selections in the two semifinals of the World of Brazil '2014. Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and Argentina. These are the pairings in the light of the results from the quarterfinals. Two South American and two European teams facing each other. The rest does not count, well beyond the set that a competition like this should always have. Now see, step-by-step, how this reality came about...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

There is more to football than mathematics, and in particular arithmetic and statistics. But at this point there is, without doubt, an irrefutable fact – an obvious and undeniable sign of the closeness of the teams that we are seeing each day at Brasil '14. Five knockout ties required extra time, two of those required penalty shootouts, to decide the ultimate fate of who moves forward and who goes home from the finals of an entire World Cup championship. This, as I see it, adds another competitive aspect – emotion – to an already remarkable event. France, Germany, Argentina and Belgium, three of the four from Europe, the 'old continent',joined the winning teams from the first half of the draw –Brazil, Colombia, the Netherlands and Costa Rica – for a quarter-final line-up that will be balanced four-four between European and American sides. Let us analyse the events that unfolded as these eight sides went through in this World Cup forum...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

Brazil, Colombia, Holland and Costa Rica are the first to be qualified for the quarter-final’s of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. In the middle of this round, we can already see that some of the arguments that we put forth in this forum are still effective. For example, Brazil is favorite to qualify for the next round of the World Cup in which they are the host’s, but this still leaves a feeling of insecurity that leads them to win in a fashion that highlights more problems than were expected. Also, the teams from the South American continent, even with the fall of Chile, Uruguay and Mexico, still have a presence imposed thanks to their capacity for adaptation that has always been the key in the competitions on that continent. Costa Rica is the greatest revelation so far and nobody forgets the runner-up of the last World Cup - Holland, which appears ready to be the thorn in the latest World Cup. We will talk now about the first two days of round of 16 of the World Championship of 2014...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

As the group stages carried on, we witnessed more of the same and added some surprises as is always the way with these stages. If Spain and England were the first to be eliminated, Italy, Portugal and Russia, among others have also fallen victim. We continue to enjoy a World Cup willing to yield many surprises and continue throw up some interesting surprises and results. We move on to offer a more or less detailed analysis of the latest games in the group stages of the 2014 tournament...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

We intend to show you the surprises, although there is less than in round one and give you an insight into why some teams are on there way back home and why football continues through it's unpredictability to be so appealing and World Cup 14 is no different...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

I must say I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the games so far and the tournament is making a very good impression. Brazil, in Group A, remains favourite because of their win over Croatia. Despite their controversial penalty they were good value for the win and are the best team in this group. They have special quality in Oscar and Neymar but have quality throughout their team with offensive full backs who attack repeatedly. Second place could be between Mexico and Croatia who seem well matched. Mexico has advantage after their win over Cameroon despite two disallowed goals against a good but disorganised African team...

Brazil 2014

Rafa Benítez

In 1950, around 200,000 spectators attended the legendary Maracanã Stadium to see Brasil v Uruguay, a duel which, as anyone who has a minimal relationship with football history knows, ended with a victory of the 'charrua' side by 2-1 making the entire Brazilian population fall into despair. Now, 64 years later, Brazil has the chance to get even and triumph again in the majestic scenery of the Maracana...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

I have always maintained that those of us who work in football are privileged. And that’s because we get paid for a job we love and are passionate about. And in my case, I have been lucky enough to have worked in different countries, to have observed different cultures and ways of working, to have benefited from those experiences and this gives me, I believe, some idea of being able to analyse things from a different perspective, from the outside...

Professional Football

Rafa Benítez

This is, and will be in the coming months, a topic for debate. No team is free from injuries and especially teams who play the most games, with a greater physical load, more long trips, more success in different competitions, meaning they will play more and with a higher intensity right to the end of the season.

This then raises the question – Can you avoid injuries? The answer is a clear ‘no’. However, you can work in a way to prevent and reduce the amount of them.

Youth Football

Rafa Benítez

There are many schools of thought about when to start playing sports. We have summarized all of these diverse ideas into two very concrete ones. Some authors talk about initiating sports participation during early childhood and others claim that the right time is around 10 years of age.

Professional Football

Paco de Miguel

I was lucky enough to attend the ‘Audience with Rafa Benitez at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool and I saw that many subjects were dealt with in depth and others, due to time restrictions, were only dealt with more superficially. With some of these latter subjects, I think we can take the opportunity to deal with them more calmly now...

General Articles

Eduardo Parra

The Spanish National Team beat Uruguay (3-1) in an international friendly last wednesday. Cesc Fabregas and Pedro Rodríguez (twice) both scored for Spain whilst Cristian 'Cebolla' Rodríguez scored for Uruguay.

The international friendly was held in Doha mirroring the match that will take place next summer in Brazil, where the Confederations Cup will be hold...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Four home victories, just one draw and three away victories with a total of twenty five goals in eight matches. This was yesterday´s conclusion to the first of two instalments in the fifth week of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Up to 35 goals were scored in the second set of this week´s UEFA Champions League Group Stage games. The number of average goals scored increased to four goals per game. It was a night full of action representative of what we often see in this continental competition with comfortable victories for Bayern over Lille (6-1), Juventus against Nordsjaelland (4-0) and the splendid Valencia in their game against Bate Borisov (4-2). Chelsea beat Shaktar in a game with many alternatives and Benfica beat Spartak Moscow (2-0). The surprise came from Celtic who beat Barcelona (2-1); and this time we also had some away victories with Galatasaray beating FC Cluj and lastly Manchester United beating Braga. It was an interesting night which we will now partially analyse. On with a couple of games...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The first instalment of the fourth week of the UEFA Champions League Group Stages brings a common denominator: equality. Five of the eight games ended with a draw, three of them with two goals each and none of the teams being able to win at home. Convincing victories by PSG against Dinamo Zagreb and by Olympiakos who beat Montpellier 3-1 and on a lesser note Anderlecht, 1-0 against an unrecognisable Zenit. Then there was a goaless draw between Dynamo Kiev and Porto, a 1-1 draw for AC Milan-Malaga and 2-2 draws in the Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund game, Manchester City-Ajax and Schalke 04-Arsenal. In total there have been 23 goals with a good average of three goals per game. Let´s now analyse some of the games and reach a few conclusions that can be published on this permanent football forum that is our website...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Even though on Tuesday we had a few examples, yesterday´s Champions League games clearly showed the importance of victory. There was not one draw in the eight games with an entertaining average of three goals per game. There were 21 goals in total shared by a range of inspired strikers. As usual, Wednesday evening once again brought a lot of action and we will now analyse some of the most intense games...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The beginning of the third week of the European Champions League (ECL) group stages yesterday evening led to some frightening moments for some of the ‘greats’. However in most cases they responded to neutralise any ‘surprises’. The reactions of Barcelona, Manchester United and in a lesser sense, Juventus and Galatasaray worked to even the playing field in games that began with an uphill struggle. Amongst those games was also Chelsea, who in the end was not able to succeed and was the surprise of the evening. Then Valencia with a definitive win, finally winning away and also wins by Spartak and Bayern. Another interesting detail yesterday was the number of own goals. Interesting mix of scorelines some of which we will analyse next...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Champions League second week has finished with 8 games that were played yesterday afternoon/evening. If we compare with Tuesday’s games with 24 goals in total, an average of three per game, yesterday’s figure was higher at 26 goals in total. That said, and relating to what was written yesterday in this website, there were three home victories, two draws and three away victories. Now let’s look at these games in more detail...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Five away wins, a draw in Turin and just two home wins, both in Group F on Tuesday, the first day of the Champions League second week. Most of the home teams found it hard to get results, just Bate Borisov with a win against Bayern following another win in Lille in the previous week, and Valencia who also beat the French side in Mestalla, were able to win at home. Chelsea had a comfortable win (0-4), Manchester United had a tough game (1-2) and Barcelona paid a price too high to get the 3 points from Benfica (0-2) as Puyol was injured and Sergio Busquets was sent off. Let’s analyse now in more detail all the games of the last night’s European matches...

General Articles

Eduardo Parra

In the last two seasons Borussia Dortmund, under the leadership of Jurgen Klopp, have deservedly won the title and this season’s Bundesliga once again looks to be very interesting thanks to the high expectations of some teams ready to battle for the title until the end...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

At the end of the first group stages of the UEFA Champions League we could start to make some conclusions. In the majority of the games the favourites won albeit some slow starting but showing potential to reach the final in London. Oporto, PSG, Arsenal, Dortmund, Real Madrid confirmed predictions on Tuesday and Shaktar, Bayern, Barcelona did so on Wednesday. A positive surprise for Malaga’s good start although there were also other resounding results. Now, let’s have a look at some of the games, bearing in mind not all games have been analysed as it is impossible to see them all...

General Articles

Eduardo Parra

This season, la Liga BBVA brings once again the battle between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid with the unknown chance of Valencia, Atletico or some other team making it difficult for these two clubs that have fought for the title over the last few years. It is a season also marked by a financial situation that has led to there being less movement in the market than in previous years and most of all less investment...

General Articles

Eduardo Parra

The first three weeks of the Premier League have now passed and even though it is too soon to reach important conclusions, there are interesting things that can be analysed. Up until now, 29 games have been played, remember Sunderland-Reading was cancelled in the second week due to rain, and according to statistics provided by Opta, 85 goals have been scored, this being the highest average per game in the last few years: 2,93 per game...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

After eight years in England, I am really pleased to see how many teams in the Premier League are little by little changing their style of play. Despite some opinions to the contrary, the arrival of foreign managers has benefited English football. These days not many question, for example, Manchester City’s zonal marking in corners or the necessary rotations carried out this season to ensure that English players could reach the European Cup with fresh legs. Furthermore, as time goes by we can see how the game is starting to be analysed taking into account aspects like team formation instead of just the performance of individual players...

Professional Football

Paco de Miguel

Planning is one of the pillars that sustain athletic performance. There are many teams that season after season are dealing with congested calendar.

The calendar has become a major obstacle to persons responsible for programming the activities carried out, as well as another series of factors that influence directly in its design and development.

This document attempts to capture an idea of intervention in the planning considering all factors and elements that influence, from the mainly empirical information, although supported by the academic knowledge...

Professional Football

Eduardo Parra

A double by Robbie Keane gave an away victory (0-2) to LA Galaxy at Toyota Park. They faced Chicago Fire who completed a second game without a win as they drew the previous game after a run of consecutive wins. On the other hand, the californian team put a stop to their run of losses with a sound victory...

Professional Football

Eduardo Parra

For the first time in their history, Corinthians have become champions of the Libertadores Cup after winning the final against Boca Juniors with an overall score of 3-1 (1-1 and 2-0). It was clear that this last match of this year´s tournament confronted two classic teams in South American football. For the ‘xeneize’ team (Boca) it was the tenth final (six titles won) whilst the ‘timao’ team (Corinthians) were facing their first final of this tournament. In the end, history changed and we now have a new team in the champions ranking...

Professional Football

Eduardo Parra

We will analyse the MLS game played in Toronto on the 30th of June. Two teams with different objectives faced each other: The Red Bulls were higher in the table, with Thierry Henry but without Rafa Marquez who was injured, whilst the local team faced the game with the need to get the necessary points to escape from the bottom part of the table...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Spain has done it, they have achieved it and what’s more it was a big job accomplished in a great manner. The Spanish national team became last night the only national team to win three major tournaments in a row: two European Cups (2008 and 2012) and a World Cup in between (2010). Without a doubt this is something which is difficult to reach by many and began with a great historic achievement led by Luis Aragones four years ago and reaching even greater heights with Vicente Del Bosque. Del Bosque, originally from Salamanca, deserves a unique mention as he has become the most distinguished coach in football history after winning two European titles and a World Cup both with a club and a national team. It is because of this and our friendship that has joined us for so many years, I would like to congratulate the national team and everyone who work with them and, especially, I would like to send my congratulations to the technical staff. Congratulations Vicente, Toni, Javi, Paco, Otxo...and the rest of the staff who have been working so hard to achieve this even greater feat...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Spain and Italy will once again play each other to decide the winner of the 2012 European Cup of Nations. We already wrote about this game at the beginning of the tournament and we will now do this again bearing in mind that the past doesn’t count although it may influence the decisions both teams will have to make...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Italy won themselves a place in Sunday’s final in Kiev after effectively beating Germany. They were more superior than what the final 2-1 reflects, as Germany just got closer in the last minutes of the game when Ozil scored a penalty. Prandelli’s approach to the game was decisive against a helpless German squad that seemed unable to find solutions as the semi final became more challenging. The classification of the transalpine side may have beaten betting odds, but maybe it wasn’t a big surprise for someone who had been watching the whole game when the French referee blew the final whistle. Let’s analyse what we saw and start, if you want, a debate...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Spain had to go to penalties to eliminate Portugal and seal their ticket to their third consecutive final in a great international tournament, something only Germany did in the 70s. The last two competitions, the European Cup 2008 and the World Cup 2010, were won by Spain and on Sunday they will have the opportunity to make history becoming the only team to win the treble. Germany, who could be their opponent if they eliminate Italy, actually went out on penalties when they faced the former Czech Republic in the final of Euro 76 which took place in the former Yugoslavia...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Italy needed penalties to win their quarter final of Euro 2012 against England. And so it was, in normal time and extra time, neither team managed to score a valid goal as offside goals don’t count. So the team that goes through to play Germany in the semi-final is Italy because they were more accurate with their penalties...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Two goals scored by Xabi Alonso on his 100th appearance for his country, one thanks to a great measured pass from Jordi Alba and the other from a penalty for a foul on Pedro, were enough to take the Spanish national team through to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and at the same time break, once and for all, the spell that France usually put on them. And so they overcame the French side in an scrappier game you would expect from two world champions...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Germany have become the second semi-finalists in Euro 2012. Their resounding win against Greece which was eventful and which we will now look at, puts them in a privileged position waiting to see who will qualify to play them out of England and Italy who play on Sunday...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

Portugal have confirmed what we saw in the first phase. They are the first semi-finalists in Euro 2012 and rightly so, confirming their assets of being solid but with threat, especially Cristiano Ronaldo. They now await their opponent who will come from the match between Spain and France on Sunday...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

The Czech Republic, who will play Portugal on Thursday, Germany, who will play Greece the following day, Spain, who come up against France on Saturday and England, who have Italy as their opponents on Sunday, are the group winners of Euro 2102. The 8 teams contest the quarter finals of the competition which has seen the two host nations, Poland and Ukraine, go out, as well as Holland and Russia, surprisingly, Sweden, put out by the French, Croatia, who have said goodbye, Ireland and Denmark. Let’s analyse how the groups ended and try to explain a few issues we saw right up to the end...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

The second round of matches is complete in the Euro 2012 group stages and we have had a look at the main issues of an interesting tournament which has now claimed a few victims. Two teams are definitely out and those remaining will have to wait for the last match and finish this stage in the best possible way. Ireland's defeat against Spain and yesterday Sweden's at the hands of England issued their return tickets. At the opposite end, Germany have almost qualified for the next stage and a few of the other candidates have almost done their jobs to think about the next level. Whatever, we are getting closer and we will evaluate what happened. Let's go...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

The first round of games has been played in all the groups, four, in the finals of Euro 2012 and it’s a good time to analyse, dissect and take stock of what’s gone on so far which we will try to do here as we usually do with your helpful contribution. As always, we will look at the issues, listen to your open and varied opinions which make for good reading. Let’s go...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

We come to the end of our preview analysis of the groups of the 16 teams taking part in the European Championships with an interesting and varied Group D. In it are two teams with tradition although from different eras, France and England, Sweden who are ready to revive memories of reaching the semifinals in 1992 and the quarter finals in 2004 and a Ukraine team who as well as being co-hosts, take part in their first Euro finals. Everyone would say that France and England have every chance to head to the next phase if it wasn’t football and we weren’t so used to surprises. However, whatever happens, like the other groups, it a more than interesting one to analyse in depth and comment on. So let’s get on with it...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

We are at the halfway stage of our initial previews of the groups and teams taking part in the 2012 European Championships, and the moment has arrived to talk about the holders of the trophy. That’s the Spanish team led by Vicente del Bosque and part of Group C which also has another history making team, Italy plus two teams who are thought of as outsiders who could upset the forecasts: Ireland led by Giovanni Trapattoni and Slaven Bilic’s Croatia . Different styles, different approaches to the game, several options…but with the same objective: to book their ticket to the next stage and have an eye on the final...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

For those of us who have always followed the European and World football tournaments, a ‘group of death’ shouldn’t come as a surprise. In any World Cup or European Championship, even in the Olympic Games or in qualifying groups there is usually a ‘group of death’. It then evolves in its own way, there are no guidelines for this kind of thing, but that’s why it has this name, for something to talk about as the games take place. And we have one in this Euro 2012, a ‘group of death’. And this time the name is apt when you realise that the teams playing for the two qualifying spots are no less than Germany, Denmark, Holland and Portugal. Let’s see how this team poker game will start...

Euro 2012

Rafa Benítez

The momento is approaching and we lovers of football are excited as we always are on the eve of a big event. And it is certainly a big event starting on Friday in Poland and the Ukraine: the latest edition of the European National Championship, Euro 2012...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Spain had to work hard and be patient in their final preparation match before the Euros. In Seville, in La Cartuja Stadium, they came up against a China team who surprised them and gave them lots to think about for much of the game. But that's exactly what you need in a preparation game. The intensity, organisation and counter attack were the hallmarks of the Chinese side and may have come as a surprise to many people but not to those who know Jose Antonio Camacho...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

This time, no, this time the UEFA Champions League did pass by, and the prized trophy went to Chelsea on penalties to wipe out any bad memories. They had to wait for the last kick in the final round of spot-kicks and it was converted by Didier Drogba to give Roman Abramovich his dream Champions League trophy and it also qualifies them for next season’s competition...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

If this was WWII we would be getting ready for the “D” Day and waiting for the “H” hour. The new Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich, hosts its very first UEFA Champions League Final despite another three finals taking place in the city in the past: in 1979 Nottingham Forest were the victors against Malmoe, in 1993 it was the turn of Olympique Marseille vs AC Milan and in 1997 Borussia Dortmund lifted the Cup after winning to Juventus...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Just as I was about to start watching last night’s final in Bucharest, I had a load of stats on my desk which OPTA always send me and which I always look through carefully when preparing to write about the matches for this forum. There are those who say that stats are just that, stats, and they can’t tell you much. But they can at least throw up some curious coincidences or some interesting things...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The UEFA Europa League Final is nearly upon us and it will feature two Spanish teams who will looking to redress the fact that no La Liga team, against all the forecasts, will be taking part in the Champions League Final in spite of both Barcelona and Real Madrid being favourites to be there...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Yesterday, Sunday, we had the opportunity to attend a more than interesting clash which could be decisive in the French league title. Lille OSC, third in the table, hosted Paris Saint Germain CF, second in the table and 5 points off the top team Montpellier Herault SC who had won on Friday against Toulouse FC (0-1). A Lille win, managed by Rudi Garcia, would put them just one point behind PSG, giving them a chance to finish top if they had good results in the last 4 matches...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

If Chelsea had beaten all the odds the day before by getting to the final in Munich on May 19, last night we witnessed a similar feat by Bayern, although maybe forecasts weren’t quite as clear after the first leg. Barcelona and Real Madrid have crashed out and the Munich and London teams will contest the title. Once again football showed what it can do and brought us all back to reality instead of trying to bet on the outcome...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

‘That’s football’ said Vujadin Boskov when he was asked about the game at a press conference. With his limited Spanish, the former coach of Real Madrid and the old Yugoslavia national team amongst others, couldn’t find a better, more graphic, way to explain why a team could win a game from a very difficult situation against all the odds. But Chelsea did exactly that last night in the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final. With ten men for a large part of the match, they were able to score two goals against the champions and thus prevent, for at least another year, a team from winning the Champions League title two years running...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The second match in the first legs for the teams looking to get to the UEFA Champions League Final in Munich also did not disappoint. As happened 24 hours earlier, last night’s match in London was hard-fought, tremendously disputed, with one very dominant but with only one winner. And it at least showed there is truth in the maxim that a victory has to be worked for. Chelsea won because they converted one of the few chances they had. And Barca lost for precisely the opposite, because they couldn’t score from one of the many chances they created. That’s football. Let’s see what happened...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

We have had the first installment of the series of the four matches which make up the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and which will decide the two teams that will contest the final in May, and last night the first of them was held in the same stadium where the final of the most prestigious tournament will take place...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Week 6 of the MLS season and LA Galaxy stop their recent run of poor results.

This weekend was week 6 of the MLS season and LA Galaxy were welcoming Portland Timbers to the Home Depot Center with both teams ruefully looking at the Western Conference table as they occupied the bottom two places. Both teams needed the win to kick-start the season but once again Portland were unable to hold on to a lead as had happened too often recently. Galaxy left it late to get the winning goals but will be happy that the poor run has been halted. We were able to watch the game and analyse the key points which we can share with you to debate...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

There was a fantastic atmosphere in and around the stadium an hour and a half before the match I attended last night in Dortmund, where Bayern were the visitors for a crucial match in the race for the Bundesliga title...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The second day of second legs of the quarterfinals of the Champions League Europe turned out similar to the first. You could say that yesterday also met the forecasts in that the two teams that had controlled their respective first legs eventually qualified. But as always there are nuances of difference. Because the outcome can be the same but the means can be very different, you have to analyse it objectively. Anyway, however much time and space is devoted to any analysis, what is clear is that it is now confirmed that Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich for a place in the final and Chelsea will be FC Barcelona’s opponent to get there. Now for the matches and the debate...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Forecasts were met on the first day of the second leg of quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The situations were different though, as it is not the same playing against a French team as it is against an Italian one, Bayern Munich did not disappoint against Olympique Marseille and neither did FC Barcelona against AC Milan. Both are waiting to see who their opponent is in the semifinals, but they will have to wait for the results of today's ties, though in the Real Madrid-Apoel match it seems clear that Real Madrid will go through and they will be the ones to play Munich and in the Chelsea-Benfica tie, it also seems clear that the Londoners are the favourites to meet Barça. However, what we can do now is assess what happened in another intense night of football yesterday evening. And, if you want, we can discuss it. So let's start...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Week 4 of the MLS season is underway and only one team, Toronto, is still without a point on the board. LA Galaxy have had a slow start as Champions and featured in one of the matches we have analysed. In the Western Conference there are two teams on 9 points, Real Salt Lake and San Jose whilst Kansas have 9 points in the East and they play tomorrow. We have looked at two matches this week and some observations of both matches follow for your interest...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

We had the opportunity to witness a great game of football last Friday, the kind that makes us love this sport. An alternating game that took swung different ways, which could have been won by either team and finished with a share of the points and goals. Eight goals in total, four per side, and so many chances to win or lose a game full of events. So if you want, let\'s try to clear our heads and debate what happened...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

The first legs of the quarterfinals of this year's Champions League have now been concluded and no home team came out as winners. There was one draw, which featured AC Milan against FC Barcelona, and which, since the draw was made, appeared to be the most evenly matched tie, while the others were more predictable in this round and they gave Chelsea a win in Lisbon, Bayern a win at Marseille and Real Madrid a win in Nicosia. While purists may disagree, with the exception of the evenly contested game in Lombardy, you could say that the rest of the results were predictable. But as we have done for every round of this exciting competition, we will look at the games as we saw them...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Having reached this point in the most important European competition and having seen the draw for the UEFA Champions League, it is a good time to to have a closer look at the clubs that are in the quarter finals and how they have set up in previous ties on the way to the final in May at the Allianz Arena in Munich. So, if you would like, let's have a look at the teams and how they square up in the quarter finals...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

This week has not only seen the quarter-finalists of the Champions League revealed, we should not forget that it has also been the first week of the new MLS season or First Kick Weekend as it is sometimes known. Not surprisingly, the match between LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake drew a lot of the attention as these two had been great rivals last season. It was a first round of matches which again showed the strength of the Western Conference over the East with 5 wins to 1. We were able to view two well contested matches and analyse the games between LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake and Portland Timbers v Philadelphia Union...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

After the second legs of the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, we now have the names of the clubs that make up the select group who will contest the quarter-finals. After the two matches on Tuesday and the other two played yesterday, we now know who will accompany Milan, Apoel Nicosia, Barcelona and Benfica in the draw which will take place tomorrow and decide the clashes in the search of the final two who will play at the Allianz Arena in Munich next May. And as there was a lot to debate, we will have a look at the highlights...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

We now know the first of the teams to go in to the hat for the quarter final draw of this year’s UEFA Champions League. With a surprise included, and another possible, as well as a feast of goals and one player scoring 5 goals in a match, we have our main talking points. Let’s get started...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Second week of the first legs in the last 16 of the Champions League. A lot of things to mull over and some surprises in these latest games. So let's begin with the game in Moscow between CSKA and Real Madrid

Professional Football

Rafa Benítez

The surprises kept coming in the African Nations Cup Final as they had done in the previous rounds, including the semi-finals, which were but a healthy warning of what was to come. Zambia finished up winning the tournament and they did it in a protracted final, agonising, almost never-ending and full of emotion to the last second, to the last penalty kick...

Professional Football

Rafa Benítez

We now know who is in the final of the African Cup and it includes a surprise, and some would say that’s what makes our sport great. Zambia were the surprise and they will be part of the party along with the Ivory Coast as their ‘dance partner’, who were expected to do well. Ghana went out despite their being favourites in the betting to get to the final. A Mayuka goal was enough to seal their glory and leave the likes of Ayew, Asamoah and company with nothing. In the other semi-final, also decided by a single goal, in this case by Gervinho, it was enough for the Ivory Coast to book their ticket to the final. As is becoming the norm, the semi-finals have given us things to talk about. So here we are...

Professional Football

Xavi Valero

Goalkeepers have always trained in specific ways, differentiated from the rest of the team. It seems like a long time ago when we could see the manager or his assistant dedicating just half an hour extra to the goalkeepers after training whilst the rest of the players stretched on the pitch. Yet the truth is that this has been quite common until recently...

Professional Football

Rafa Benítez

We are going to have a first look at the African Nations Cup which has been taking place in the last few weeks. Thanks to members of my staff, and in this case especially Pedro Campos, we have been able to have a look at many of the participating teams. Obviously this article is just an initial assessment which we will continue in the next phase of the competition, but it gives us the chance to have a brief look at some of the teams who are still in the competition...

Professional Football

Eduardo Parra

Football is part of a group of sports which are known as team sports, and as such can be characterized by the relationship between co-operation (between team mates) and opposition (against an opponent). In the development of the game we can consider 3 basic aspects: time-space aspect, demonstrated in the attacking phase by use of the ball individually and collectively to overcome barriers and opponents, and in the defending phase by the creation of barriers to delay and stop movement of the opponents and the ball with the objective of regaining possession; information aspect demonstrated by the creation of doubt in the opponent and confidence in team mates; and the organisational aspect established by the collective plan integrated with individual actions and vice versa...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Just a couple of hours ago I finished a talk, a discussion, in front of a mixture of candidates for the UEFA Pro Licence and a refresher course for the same licence organized by the FA. And I would like to take the opportunity to share with you here some of the ideas discussed...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

At this time of year, towards the end of December, it is usually time to reflect, to analyse what has happened during the year. So I don't think we should miss the chance to analyse the data in different big leagues in the world...

Professional Football

Maite Gómez

Since 1991 when the first World Cup took place, women’s football has boomed and developed according to the latest survey conducted by FIFA from its 207 member associations. The so-called ‘Great Census 2006’ (FIFA 2007) shows that in the last 6 years the number of players has increased from 22 million to 26 million. This 16.8% increase represents 10% of the total of all players, men and women, which is 265 million...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Another trophy for the well-oiled Barcelona machine. Another irrefutable victory due to their superiority and competitiveness. Pep Guardiola and his lads again imposed themselves against a good team, whatever the scoreline says, in the final of the Club World Cup...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Before I write anything on the Club World Cup and above all else, I want to send my best wishes to David Villa after the serious injury he sustained in Barcelona’s first match of the tournament. David has shown to me that, on a personal level, as well as being a great footballer, he is a good human being, always willing to support good causes as shown by his selfless and kind involvement with the Montse Benitez Foundation (MBF)...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

We went in to the final matchday of the group phase with many things still to be decided in some groups and therefore some anxious games to be disputed, and the first we will look at is Chelsea and Valencia...

General Articles

Juanma Morán

As everyone well knows, Liverpool FC is a club scarred by two tragedies, Heysel and Hillsborough. Even though the former was in football terms a bit pointless, we have to discuss it to understand why Liverpool fans are so grateful to Rafa Benitez...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

How important is the Christmas period in the league season? It was a question always asked in press conferences around Christmastime and it was always the same response. It is a very important phase in the league because you play so many games in a short space of time, a lot of points up for grabs with lots of decisions to be made in a few days whatever your objective...

General Articles

Juanma Morán

Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney. With nobody at the controls, how could we stay at the top. Let’s have a look because it’s easier said than done. These players all played together in the Manchester United attack for a while. I wondered then and I am still wondering. Can you compete against such a talented and attacking squad?...

Youth Football

Rafa Benítez

Ever since the Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United, and considering the recent rise of Barcelona ​​with a lot of young players coming through their system, people have been talking about the differences between the Academy systems in Spain and England and the style of football in both leagues. Indeed the Premier League has recently produced a very detailed document (the Elite Player Performance Plan EPPP) that is a further attempt to modify the Academy system in England...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Matchday 5 of the group stage of the Champions League began with the match between CSKA Moscow and Lille. It was a relatively easy encounter for the French side, much better technically as well as tactically...

Professional Football

Gerard Nus

The first thing I must say is that in order to understand the basis of Korean football you have to know something of the social and historical context of the country, the history of football there and the area around it. South Korea, where I am working, has over the last few decades has improved its standard of living...

Professional Football

David Serrano

It was the third round of qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in South America where the Paraguay win over Ecuador, 2-1, and the draw between Colombia and Venzuela, 1-1, stood out as well as the Uruguay and Argentina matches...

Professional Football

David Serrano

The fourth round of matches in the third group stage of Asian qualification has already eliminated some teams from the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014. There was bad news for UAE, Indonesia, North Korea, Singapore, Tajikistan and Jose Antonio Camacho’s China who all won’t be going to the next World Cup, despite there being 2 games left.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Tomorrow, Saturday 12 November, the Spanish National Football Team will play against England in London. Spain are coming as Champions, having won the two biggest trophies in the last few years, continuing to beat all records and respected and admired throughout the football world...

General Articles

Antonio Losada

I attended a Catholic elementary school in the late sixties and early seventies in Madrid, Spain. We all received a citizenship grade; and another grade for dedication to our studies; that is, how well we applied ourselves. The citizenship grade carried a moral value that unconsciously weighed heavily in our minds. In the classroom the line between correct and inappropriate behavior seemed to be well defined but in the courtyard and on the sport fields the line became blurred and even disappeared...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

General Articles

Dave McDonough

Having worked for several years as the analyst on Rafa Benitez’s technical staff, and as my expertise is specifically analysing statistics, data and matches to give Rafa the necessary information to improve team performance, I believe that I have some authority to comment on recent events having benefited from working so closely with him...

General Articles

Juanma Morán

When Manchester United visited Anfield in February 2006 for the 5th Round of the FA Cup, the home fans were a bit pessimistic about the team’s prospects of going further. Their reasons were pretty obvious and no less conclusive. The 12 January 1921 had been the last time that the neighbours had gone home beaten down the M62 after a cup game on the banks of the Mersey. Over 80 years ago. So no hope. Fate was decided. Out of the competition at the first hurdle against their greatest rivals and just another statistic to add. Or maybe not...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

We have had a new Matchday in the group phase, the third, in the Champions League and two days of intense football with some surprises and lots of things to comment on. Let’s start with what happened on Tuesday...

Professional Football

Xavi Valero

Style and efficiency don’t always go hand in hand and we often hear interesting debates regarding how convenient it is to prioritise one or the other when, as coaches, we take on both the complexity of the learning process and the need for keepers to perform. If we look at football in different countries and observe in detail the solutions that each goalkeeper uses to face similar game situations...

General Articles

Juanma Morán

A lot of people have referred to Rafa Benitez’s first match in charge of Liverpool as the first league game of the 2004-5 season, although his official debut was actually a few days earlier. It was really the qualification round of the Champions League which pitted him against the Austrians Sturm Graz. Apart from being a significant moment in the coach’s career, that game also has another particularly memorable significance. Whilst Steven Gerrard was giving the opposition a hard time with 2 sensational goals, Michael Owen was watching the match from the subs bench...

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

General Articles

Xavi Valero

We all have played on many football pitches in our lives. Neighbourhood football pitches, muddy pitches, pitches we only dreamt about, pitches which took us a step forward, pitches to forget and pitches of hope and many more...Stadiums full of history and stories, filled with failures and legends, which have moulded our careers and have propelled us forward, sometimes without direction. Football offers no truce. It devours and forgets only to reinvent itself and start again.

General Articles

Juanma Morán

The first time I saw Rafa Benítez in person was during an informal chat immediately after a game with a few fans of a group I was running at the time. The truth is none of the organisers of that meeting would have bet a penny that the coach would actually turn up. And not because, according to football practice, a person of his standing (he had been for some time one of the best coaches in the world) is usually inaccessible to the general public. No. He would have nothing to do with elitism. It was because he was known for never taking a break from work. And of course, straight after the match, it was understood that the first thing someone like him would do is go over the notes he had made during the 90 minutes, and the last thing he would do was to meet a group of over-enthusiastic interlopers. Therefore it was a surprise to see him appear at the agreed place and time.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Today I would like to talk a bit about the game I was at last night, Manchester City against Napoli and thanks to my technical staff and the TV we can also make a few comments about the other matches that completed the first week of the Champions League.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

For some time I have been looking at the growth of the Bundesliga. These first few matches of the Champions League Group Stage, where English and German teams have played each other, have given me a chance to begin an analysis which I would like to continue.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

First of all, thanks for all the contributions you have made. Some of you have brought up some very interesting points for discussion and I am thinking of writing some articles to give my opinion on the subjects.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

My first impression, and whenever I have been asked this question I have been convinced of this, is that the Premier League is quicker and has bigger physical demands than the Spanish championship, and that La Liga is more technical and tactical.

Professional Football

Paco de Miguel

Performance in collective disciplines is very different from what occurs in individual disciplines. In team sports is really complex to design plans and workout routines to improve analytically the sport man biological-functional system. This is certainly the approach that any coach should have before to make the planning. In a discipline where the continuous interaction of variables is present at all times, is not possible separately stimulate cognitive components with fitness or coordinative ones. Almost all tasks have to be planned taking into account the internal logic of the game.

General Articles

Mauricio Pellegrino

The success of Uruguay in the recent Copa America was, in my opinion, a triumph of collective quality over the individual, where the whole was once again better than the sum of the parts. At the moment this has given us Argentinians a lesson. Try to be better as a group, leaving aside some of me for the common good. It sounds easy but it is difficult to achieve.

General Articles

Rafa Benítez

Barcelona v Manchester United, 3-1 Saturday 28.05.11

There was a lot of talk for days before this massive game played in London as is usual with such a big final. The styles were compared of Manchester United, much stronger physically and a more English style, and of Barcelona, with a pass and move style, as in the Spanish national team, which has as its spine the Barcelona players.